Combat training for animals

[Ed Reppert]

CRB says that all animals are trained in light barding, and combat-trained animals are trained in heavy barding. How do I combat-train an animal?

Same question applies to animal companions, who after all are animals too. :-)

[Baarogue]

Through the train animal feat maybe? The CR says warhorses and warponies are combat trained and to look to the bestiary for animal statistics. There, the descriptions of both dogs imply they're combat trained. I'd say it's obvious animal companions are combat trained

[Perpdepog]

The rules for animal companions say they are trained in barding, and since light barding and heavy barding are both barding, I'd assume that an animal companion could wear either.

[Ravingdork]

I always assumed it was by saying "it's combat trained."

[Nefreet]

Unfortunately, most animals can't speak.

[Ed Reppert]

What's that got to do with combat training, Nefreet?

[Callin13]

Fairly certain it was a fun jab at Ravingdorks comment by the animal not being able to say "its combat trained"

Honestly wish I could add more to this post but I would like to see the answer if any comes about as well.

[Themetricsystem]

Combat-training, as far as I can tell, doesn't seem to have actually been mechanically encoded into the rules unlike in PF1 where there were packages of Tricks that you could grant to an Animal you spend time Training via Handle Animal.

As for Animal Companions, that is pretty well defined in that the Animal Companion Rules (the Proficiency section) do pretty clearly indicate that they are always Trained in Barding so I must take that to mean that ALL types of Barding are Trained.

I can't say for sure but I almost feel like they had some plans on implementing a more formal way to do this via the Train Animal Activity but the system was either too complex/long to bother with or they felt it wasn't worth the time/testing when they could merely just publish things the way there are with the whole "Ask your GM" deal that is printed. Though I will say that the Train Animal Activity really does only seem to apply to teaching them how to learn Commands that relate to specific Actions and that sort of leaves Combat-training them to wear the varying types of Barding off the table... hmmm.

Perhaps another book pushed out a year or more from now that focuses on Nature/Exploration could expand on the foundations that are already in place but ... yeah, that's where things seem to stand at the moment at least.

[Captain Morgan]

If you need hard mechanics for this you could probably port in the PF1 rules with little issue. https://www.d20pfsrd.com/skills/handle-animal/

[Lucerious]

Nefreet wrote:

Unfortunately, most animals can't speak.

You haven’t met my dog. :)

Every time sirens pass by the house, he gets very vocal.

[Nefreet]

I said "most"! ^_^

[Ed Reppert]

For some unknown reason, I tend to misinterpret certain online attempts at humor. Probably I'm just old. :-)